Viciedo: Injury not serious

CHICAGO – The White Sox can only hope one of their top hitters isn’t sidelined too long.

Outfielder Dayan Viciedo was placed on the 15-day disabled list before Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Twins (retroactive to Friday) with a left oblique strain that he suffered during his eighth-inning at-bat Thursday in Toronto. Outfielder Blake Tekotte was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte.

Despite needing to go on the DL, Viciedo said he still believes his oblique injury isn’t serious.

“It’s very disappointing, but those are some of the things you can’t control,” Viciedo said through a translator. “I’m just going to take it one day at a time and I’m going to work to get better so I can help the team as soon as possible.”

General manager Rick Hahn was much more cautious when providing a potential timetable for Viciedo’s return. Although Viciedo and manager Robin Ventura hope Viciedo will be ready to play when he’s able to come off the DL, Hahn said “we’re going to have to play that one by ear.”

“With something like this, it’s so easy to re-aggravate it if you don’t give it the proper amount of time to heal,” Hahn said. “I think the plan at this point is for him to do essentially nothing for about a week and then slowly start ramping him up into baseball activities and then likely a rehab assignment.”

The addition of Tekotte, 25, gives Ventura additional flexibility with his lineup. Tekotte provides the bench with another left-handed bat, and he’s capable of playing any of the outfield positions. Tekotte said he’s anxious to get back out on the field after starting the season on the DL at Charlotte with a strained left hamstring.

“They gave me a little extra time just to make sure since it was kind of the beginning of the season,” Tekotte said. “They didn’t want me to relapse. I feel great.”

Cooper rejoins team: After missing the Sox’s entire 10-game road trip because of diverticulitis, pitching coach Don Cooper was back in the dugout Saturday against the Twins.

Cooper said he had a “bad, bad, bad stomach ache” for five days. He was tempted to fly to Toronto for the Sox’s four-game series against the Blue Jays, but his wife Ruby wouldn’t allow it because he still needed to rest. Cooper spoke with his fill-in Bobby Thigpen daily and texted every pitcher on the day of their outing.

“It’s not about if something is going to happen to you in your life,” Cooper said. “It’s about when, and you just deal with it and hopefully move on. I’m glad it wasn’t more than what it was.”

Danks update: Pitcher John Danks’ rehab is continuing to progress. The lefty made another start Saturday at extended spring training in Arizona.

Danks is expected to be in Chicago the next couple days so the team can talk to him in person about his rehab and how his shoulder feels.

“He’s been feeling good in between; he’s been able to do his sides,” Hahn said. “He’s been able to do all his exercises and he continues to progress.”